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IT IS eighteen months since Slade were first on the receiving end of knickers thrown on stage. Noddy Holder still has them "to clean me guitar with".

Six months ago the first bra fell at their feet and since then it's been a never-ending saga of underwear hurled at the band.
Opening night of their current British tour, at Newcastle, was no exception. A young lady, aged no more than 13, who the national papers would describe as "a weeny bop", let 'em all hang out and with gay abandonment flung her bra towards Dave Hill who, capturing the mood, placed the gift between his teeth and continued playing.

Such is the extent of Slade's current popularity that the Newcastle gig was sold out within two hours and at their' home town, Wolverhampton queues formed at 8 p.m. the evening before - for the box office to open at 10 a.m. the following day.

Kicking off with "Hear Me Calling' the audience went stomping, clapping and leaping into action, Arms swayed, waved and gesticulated -- strictly observing whatever Holder and the rest of Slade would have them do. It's almost terrifying to watch the power of the band over an audience.

Jobsworths, too, were busy removing people from the side aisles and verbally directing them back to their seats.
Slade's stage act hasn't varied much over the past few months. All they need to do, it seems, is to work in the latest hit single. Right now they are busy promoting not only the new single "Gudbuy T 'Jane" but also the new album "Slayed", due for release next month.

"Jane" is very much a typical Slade song - stomping, leaping, and exhausting for the hardworking audience. Yet it's the introductions, carefully worded by Holder, that seem to work up the excitement ........"Have you got a football team here?" yells. Holder and is deluged by screams. "Right, let's 'ere yer football chant then ... "

And immediately the capacity crowd are singing the praises of Newcastle. "Right, I want everybody to sing the football national anthem". The crowd goes into "You'll Never Walk Alone".
Slade may be straight back from a European tour but tiredness doesn't show. "We get a buzz off the crowd," says Noddy and, at Newcastle," the audience got more than a buzz off Slade.